Lisbon airport's proposed expansion aims for a seven-fold increase in hourly flights
Lisbon Airport Expansion Plan Submitted as Demand Soars
The Humberto Delgado Airport (Lisbon Airport) has taken a significant step forward in its expansion plan, with ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal submitting the expansion proposal to the Portuguese government on August 1, 2025. The plan aims to boost the airport's operational capacity to accommodate the rising passenger demand, with a target of 45 flights (movements) per hour.
The expansion plan, still under governmental review, includes a phased investment strategy encompassing all necessary airport subsystems. If approved, an Environmental Impact Study will be drafted and submitted as required by Portuguese law.
While specific details about increases in aircraft parking positions and passenger access lanes remain undisclosed, the plan ensures all necessary investments to expand the airport's capacity, implying infrastructure related to aircraft parking and passenger flow will be scaled up.
The expansion plan, initially proposed in January 2019, also includes the addition of 11 passenger access lanes and an increase in aircraft parking positions from 60 to 89. The Figo Maduro military base is set to be dismantled as part of the expansion plan.
The new Lisbon airport, Luís de Camões Airport, is expected to open in about 10 years, around 2035, at which point Humberto Delgado Airport will either be dismantled or repurposed. The contract for the expansion works, amounting to 233 million euros, was signed on November 17 last year, following two resolutions of the Council of Ministers.
The expansion works for Portela have not yet begun, despite the concessionaire's contractual obligation to do so. Once the Portuguese Environment Agency gives the green light, the expansion works for Portela can commence.
It is worth noting that the second runway of the airport has already been dismantled as part of the Expansion Plan. The new airport will become the only one serving Lisbon upon its completion.
Stay tuned for updates on the progress of the Lisbon Airport expansion plan as it moves through the governmental approval process and prepares for the future growth of air travel in Portugal.
The expansion plan, if approved, may invite substantial investments in the aviation industry, considering the allocation for increasing aircraft parking positions. The increase in passenger access lanes could potentialize enhancements in transportation, facilitating smoother travel within the finance sector.
